The Western Air Temple
by Vanille Strawberry
Summary: Done for my friend who is celebrating her BDay soon. Aang has decided to leave his friends behind, but Katara ventures after him. Toph seems to have caught an interesting person who has requested to join the Avatar.


Disclaimer: I do no own Avatar-cry- nor the characters.

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The Western Air Temple

"Where's Twinkle Toes going now?" asked Toph leaning against one of the few standing pillars of the Western Air Temple. Katara and The Duke were vacating some rooms inside the temple for the night, and Sokka had left with Haru to find some food. Aang had been unnaturally quiet, going on long walks around the Temple grounds alone.

At first Toph had thought that his grim mood had been the result of the failed mission. Slowly however she had noticed subtle changes in his posture when he looked at Katara. She was not sure what had happened on that _horrible_ underwater contraption, when everyone but the two of them had gone inside preparing to submerge.

Aang looked around nervously. Glider in hand and Momo curled protectively around his neck. Toph could have snorted with laughter at the amount of nervousness he was emitting but instead she felt a rising panic. He was preparing to leave them.

"Don't you dare leave us behind Air boy," she whispered under her breath making a few complicated earthbending moves that would serve as a decoy until backup arrived. Slowly the earth began to encase him in a large dome. Aang gave a startled cry and tried to bend his way out. To his surprise he found that he couldn't make the rock budge.

Grinning slyly Toph ran to find help.

She found Katara fast enough. She and The Duke were walking up to the springs that ran down the mountain and they stopped when they saw her. She skid to a halt and pointed in the direction she had come.

"Aang's-" she panted "Aang's going to leave,"

Katara's eyes widened and she thrust a pile of fur pelts she sometimes gave them on cold nights, at The Duke who toppled over with the weight. "Where?"

Toph had never heard the Waterbender talk with such ferocity and found it best not to argue. The two teenagers ran past Sokka and Haru who had just come back from their foraging trip.

Toph's jaw hung open in disbelief when they finally arrived to the spot. "He broke my dome! Spirits how did he do that!"

The dome that had previously held the young Avatar lay now blown to bits at Toph's feet. Katara saw him in the distance, only a small orange blob in the sky, steadily making a large distance between himself and them.

"Oh no he doesn't! Appa!" yelled the older girl. The large Sky Bison galloped up to Katara also noticing the urgency in her voice. Toph put a comforting hand on the confused bisons body. His armor lay discarded inside one of the Temple's main rooms. Katara was on his head in a matter of seconds.

"I'm going to get him back, tell Sokka I'll be fine."

"Sweetness, I can't just let you fly off by yourself!" Toph argued moving in front off Appa to block her way.

"Your going to have to Toph," Toph did not move at first but slowly her will crumbled.

Toph sighed heavily and moved to the side. "I've got to hand it to you Sugar Queen, you've got guts."

Katara smiled and took hold of the rains "Appa, yip yip!"

Appa thrust himself into the air and Toph was left on the ground watching the sky with sightless eyes. She could feel Sokka and the others behind her but she did not turn to acknowledge their arrival.

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It was raining hard. Everyone but Toph had taken shelter inside the Temple. The Blind Bandit sat lotus-style under a large tree, her hand on the ground trying to pick up any sign that Appa had landed. She sighed and leaned against the rough bark, crossing her arms and snuggling into her polar bear furs that Katara had made her.

She grimaced remembering Sokka's outburst upon learning that his sister had taken off alone after Aang. Teo had tried calming him down and it was only after a rather well worded threat from Toph did he drop the matter and return to making dinner.

All of a sudden she felt it. A large weight that landed softly near her. It wasn't Appa. It had the outer shell of a boat. She gasped when she felt someone climb out of it. Jumping to her feet and getting into her earthbending stance she sunk the intruder into the earth. The man struggled and groaned.

"You!" he barked.

"Well, well, lookie what I've caught. One Fire Nation prince, hold the lightening." her tone had no humour in it and her eyes were angry slits.

Zuko's shoulders slumped and he looked up at her wearily. "I've come to join the Avatar."

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A one-shot done for my friend Elean who's celebrating her B-Day soon. Hope you have a great day Eal!

Slan Vanille Strawberry


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